Advocacy in Action: Kraig Walker on Importance of Community Integration for the Disabled

Nick Speaks

Nick Speaks is a podcast dedicated to empowering adults and young people with disabilities. Join me as I share insights and experiences from my own journey of self-discovery and advocacy. Tune in and find your voice!

Advocacy in Action: Kraig Walker on Importance of Community Integration for the Disabled

S1 E38 • May 13, 2025 • 65 mins

In this episode, Nicolas Comstock engages with Kraig Walker to explore the nuances of advocacy within the disability services sector. Kraig shares insights from his career, discussing the challenges of balancing needs versus wants and the responsibilities of county boards. They delve into the direct support professional crisis, fiscal responsibility, and career satisfaction in Ohio's disability services. The conversation contrasts state-run and local services, examines funding equity, and highlights the importance of educating legislators. Strategies for federal and state-level advocacy are discussed, along with solutions for stable accounts. The episode concludes with advice for professionals, a call to political involvement, and a book recommendation.

Key Points

Effective advocacy requires not only voicing complaints but also offering well-thought-out solutions to the right people.
The direct support professional crisis can be mitigated through targeted education and career path initiatives, such as integrating developmental disabilities training into community colleges and career technical centers.
Personal stories and consistent advocacy can significantly influence policy changes and improve services for people with disabilities, demonstrating the power of speaking up and being involved at local, state, and federal levels.

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Speakers

Kraig Walker

Guest • 59%

Nicolas Comstock

Host • 40%

Chapters

0:00	Advocacy metrics, challenges, and guest introduction
0:40	Sponsor: Goodnight Podcasting Solutions
1:41	Housekeeping, guest invites, and book promotion
4:35	Kraig Walker's career and needs vs. wants discussion
10:23	County board responsibilities and direct support professional crisis
16:22	Fiscal responsibility and determining needs in disability services
26:26	Career satisfaction and achievements in Ohio's disability services
33:17	Comparing state-run and local disability services
35:27	Funding equity and public policy participation
39:16	Educating legislators and the importance of local advocacy
41:35	Federal and state-level advocacy strategies
44:45	Solutions in advocacy and stable accounts
49:18	Political advocacy and the direct support professional crisis
52:00	Promoting disability services careers and provider impact
57:05	Advice for professionals and family dynamics
1:00:11	Closing remarks with Kraig Walker and political involvement call to action
1:03:09	Invitations to Congress and community, book recommendation, and show wrap-up

Transcript

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